Chapter 22
The bed is cold when I reach across it, my fingers brushing empty sheets.
“Nik?” I call into the silence of our apartment, only for my question to go unanswered.
As I open my eyes and allow them to adjust to the early morning sun, my gaze catches on the crisp, folded slip of paper on the nightstand.
Rolling across my pillow, I stretch for it and flip it open. His handwriting is sharp and neat, every line deliberate.
Ani,
I had to take care of last night’s problem. I’ll be back before lunch. You can visit with Madison or Eavan, but don’t leave the building.
Be my good little pet.
– N
PS: Don’t skip breakfast. And no, coffee isn’t breakfast.
Staring at it longer than I should, the corners of my mouth tugging upward as I reread it.
I can practically hear his voice—barking commands to hide the fact that he’s tender.
It’s like he doesn’t know how to be soft without incorporating something tough.
I toss the note aside before I think too much about it.
My phone busses as I’m about to slide from bed.
“Jesus,” I mutter to myself as I reach for it.
“I’m still being good. I haven’t even pulled myself out of bed yet. ”
When I swipe it open, I’m surprised to find a message from Madison.
I’ll be down in an hour. Since the boys are busy, I made plans.
Madison is prompt, and I’ve barely finished getting ready when she knocks at the front door. My appropriate outfit selection has hidden most of the evidence of last night, but it took a little longer than expected to cover over the bruise Nik left on my neck.
Waiting at the door, Madison has a huge smile plastered across her mischievous face. “We’re going out,” she states matter-of-factly, looping her arm through mine.
I glance at the security camera in the hall and swallow down my hesitation. “Nik said—”
“These boys are all so bossy,” Madison cuts me off with an over-exaggerated eye roll. “You need breakfast and girl time. That means nails and coffee.”
The thought of slipping past his invisible leash makes my stomach twist—equal parts dread and thrill—and I stand on the threshold.
Madison tsks her insistence. “I won’t take no for an answer from you, too. Besides”—she gestures to the linebacker of a man waiting in the elevator with a wink—“with this big oaf following me everywhere, it’s perfectly safe.”
I know she’s right. It’s perfectly safe. Still, when we walk through the lobby and slide into the black SUV waiting at the curb, adrenaline sparks through me, knowing I’m disobeying him.
The nail salon is sleek and glowing, glass chandeliers casting soft light over velvet chairs. Lavender drifts in the air as the manicurist shapes my nails. I sink into the chair, exhaling the tension I didn’t realize I’d been carrying.
Madison smirks at me from the next chair over. “So… You and Nik, huh?”
“What about me and Nik?”
“Oh, please.” She waves her now-manicured hand. “You’re glowing like a woman who’s been properly ruined. And regularly.”
Heat scorches my cheeks. “I am not.”
“You are,” she says playfully, grinning with confidence. “Don’t waste your breath denying it. I know the signs.”
“The signs?”
“I’m just saying you look happy.” Her tone softens as she smiles at me warmly. “Nik is a great guy. He has been nothing but loving to both me and Eavan. Well, except that brief period where he wanted my head on a stake. But that’s water under the bridge—”
“I’m sorry? What?”
“Long story. One for another day with far too much wine.” She laughs.
“But seriously, I know what happened last night. Men like Nik… and Cillian and Enzo… they aren’t normal men.
They love differently. When you belong to a King, they’ll burn the world to the ground for you.
All of them. Because there is nothing they wouldn’t do to protect this family. ”
“I know,” I whisper, surprising myself with how small my voice sounds.
I’ve heard straight from Nik’s mouth the ends he would go to ensure no one hurt me, and I experienced it last night.
When things went sideways in the club, Enzo materialized out of thin air to whisk me away.
With his strong arms wrapped securely around me and his body shielding me from what was happening, he promised me that everything would be okay and that I was safe.
As terrifying and chaotic as the entire situation was, there wasn’t an ounce of me that didn’t believe him.
By the time our nails are polished to perfection, I almost feel normal again.
Madison insists on coffee. We sit in the corner of a little café, sipping lattes and laughing over nonsense.
With her bodyguard hovering a table away, we swap stories—childhood crushes, embarrassing moments, and favorite books.
And I make a note to visit Eavan’s bookshelf.
The distance between us shrinks with each passing second, and I feel like I’ve known her my entire life.
I find myself telling her things about myself that I rarely share with other people, and in that moment, I’m actually glad she dragged me out.
My phone buzzes loudly—and repeatedly—against the metal-topped table.
NIK
Where are you?
I told you not to leave the building.
Answer me, Ani.
“Oh shit!” Madison exclaims, seeing the message. “I didn’t think… I didn’t realize I was going to get you in trouble.”
“It’s fine,” I lie. “He’s a lot of talk.”
“Really?” Madison sounds surprised as she flags down the waiter for our check, her hands fidgeting with the credit card already in her hand.
“Yeah,” I exhale, as the phone buzzes again in my hand.
Last chance before I come find you.
My stomach drops.
Don’t be ridiculous.
Ridiculous?
I’m with Madison, and we’re paying the bill now.
I’ll be home soon.
His reply comes instantly.
I told you not to leave the building.
There will be consequences for your disobedience. And you’ll be learning them when you get home.
The short ride back to the apartment feels like the slow descent into hell. My palms are sweaty, and my heart pounds harder with every mile we grow closer to home. Nik is on the other side of the door, waiting impatiently for me with a scowl carved into his face.
He stands in the middle of the living room with his sleeves rolled to his elbows. His posture is deceptively calm, but the storm in his eyes makes my stomach flop. “Where the fuck have you been?” he asks, so controlled that my skin prickles.
I hesitate for a second, mustering the courage for my single-worded answer. “Out,” I sass with the bratty annoyance of a teenager being interrogated for breaking curfew.
“Out?” he parrots with a dark, humorless laugh. He angrily tugs at his tie to loosen it.
I open my mouth, ready with a snarky retort, but the words die on my tongue when I meet his eyes. They bore through me, so hot that my skin flushes as he slowly pulls the tie from around his neck.
“This is not how good little pets behave,” he declares, tossing his tie. The charcoal silk flutters through the air. It lands on the coffee table, falling on top of a black leather collar and matching leash.